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this case).
He told me that I might go.
The librarian told the man that he might take the book home.
b) in some syntactical patterns requiring the subjunctive mood forms:
However hard he might (or may) try, he will never manage to do the same.
I’ve brought you the book so that you may write your paper.
I. May followed by the non-perfect common infinitive expresses:
1. Permission. In this usage it expresses the meaning to have permission to, to be allowed to, to be permitted
to.
You may go now (you are allowed to go).
May we leave this with you? (Are we allowed to...? Is it all right if we leave it here?)
In polite requests for permission might is used.
Might I use your telephone, please?
I wonder if I might borrow your book.
Can is now more common than may or might to express informally the idea of permission, but may is often
used when talking of ourselves.
May/might I help you?
When the action was permitted and performed the expression was allowed to is preferable.
When translating the story we were allowed to use a dictionary, so I took a Longman new dictionary.
2. Possibility of the fact (the so-called “factual possibility”).This meaning occurs only in affirmative
sentences.
You may find all the books you want in the National Library. (It is possible that you will find...)
The railways may be improved. (It is possible that the railways will be improved.)
The above sentence could suggest that there are definite plans for improvement.
May expressing possibility is avoided in questions and in negative sentences, instead can is used.
3. Prohibition (only with the negative form of the modal verb).
You may not go swimming. (You are not allowed to ...) - He ρμει...
You may not enter the room until I say so. - He ρμει...
The contracted form mayn’t is also very rare.
There are other ways of expressing the idea of prohibition which are more common. They are mustn’t, can’t,
and don’t. Mustn’t and can’t are often found in negative answers to express prohibition instead of may not.
II. May (might) followed by any form of the infinitive denotes:
1. Supposition, uncertainty. May in this sense is synonymous with perhaps or maybe, and occurs in
affirmative and negative statements.